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Guatemala and Belize Family Vacation

Day 1: Antigua

Met and warmly received after your international flight touches down in Guatemala City by your guide, a 45 minute drive brings you to Antigua, Latin America’s premier colonial city. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this former capital of Guatemala is a strikingly beautiful city, rich in history. Visitors and locals alike casually congregate in the central plaza sitting and strolling, watching the world go by. Overnight at the centrally located and family friendly Porta Hotel Antigua.

Day 2: Chichicastenango

Arise early to visit the famous market of Chichicastenango, a magical and sometimes misty highland town surrounded by valleys and looming mountains. The setting is captivating and the lively K’iche Maya indigenous market draws craftsmen and villagers from all over the highlands. The market is not only the main economic focus of this highland village but an important social and cultural event where K’iche indigenous people gather to barter, buy and sell. Take ample time to stroll through the streets, browse and purchase native handicrafts, and observe ancient native rites of burning incense, spreading flower petals and burning candles in the Santo Tomás Church. Although the rites are Mayan and not Catholic, the Catholic Church has allowed the Maya to practice religion in their own manner since the 17th century. After lunch, depart for the shores of Lake Atitlan, a caldera lake whose crystal blue waters are flanked by three spectacular volcanoes. Overnight at Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlán.

Day 3: Lake Atitlan & San Juan La Laguna Village

Ringed by rugged green ridgelines, towering volcanoes and twelve indigenous villages, the sparking deep blue Lake Atitlan is truly one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. After enjoying breakfast at our lakeside accommodations, we board a “lancha” for a boat tour of the lake, en route to the village of San Juan La Laguna. The boat ride across the lake takes about an hour. Along the way, we’ll spot several red- roofed villages perched on the steep hillsides cascading down to the lake and wave to fisherman in traditional dugout canoes pulling in their early-morning catch. San Juan La Laguna is a traditional Mayan community where most speak Tz'utujil, one of 23 indigenous Mayan dialects in Guatemala. Closely related to the larger Kaqchikel and K'iche native tongues, there are about 84,000 native Tz'utujil speakers today, concentrated in the southern corner of Lake Atitlan. Spanish is a distant second language for many in the community, so practice your Tz'utujil phrases! (Here’s a primer: thank you: malty-ush; good morning: sack-iri; how are you: uutz-aawach). With our guide, we’ll explore the town and witness the strong sense of community pride which exists there. We’ll visit a women’s weaving cooperative and sitting side by side with these artists, learn the traditional weaving and dying methods used by the Maya for generations. Depending on your family’s interests, you may also visit a medicinal plant and natural products cooperative or the community’s fair-trade, shade-grown coffee plantation: La Voz Cooperative. Started in the 1985 with the help of Heifer International, 120 indigenous families grow their coffee using traditional organic methods in small plots on the slopes of the volcanic ridgelines ringing the lake. You can also do an easy hike up above the village through the coffee fields to a lookout point over the lake with spectacular views of San Pedro volcano. The viewpoint gives you a new perspective and the chance to learn more about the complex of volcanoes surrounding Lake Atitlan and how the lake itself was formed by a collapsed volcano. After this full day of exploration, we’ll return to Hotel Antigua in the late afternoon. Overnight at Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlán.

Day 4: Xenotox / Flores

Leaving Lake Atitlan behind, drive to the traditional village of Xenotox to visit a Mayan family and witness the ancient art of back strap loom weaving. This technique is passed down through generations and is still widely used today to make textiles. Explore the village and enjoy a traditional lunch in the home of a Mayan family observing the kindness, generosity, hard work and family values displayed by your hosts. We continue back to the airport in Guatemala City and leave the highlands to catch a late afternoon flight (included) to Flores, the gateway to the Maya ruins of Tikal. After landing, transfer 1 hour by van to the vibrant jungles of Tikal National Park. Overnight Tikal Inn or similar.

Day 5: Tikal Mayan Ruins

Rising out of the jungle canopy where howler monkeys swing through the trees and parrots are frequently heard squawking, walking through the Mayan ruins of Tikal is an unforgettable experience. Once the most powerful city in the Americas, this huge complex of temples, altars, pyramids, plazas and palaces, includes more than 3,000 structures. The Maya were one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world producing many works of literature, philosophy and architecture as well as a precise calendar. Keeping in mind the interests and attention span of children, your knowledgeable guide brings this ancient civilization to life as you explore some of the most interesting sites. Keep your eyes out for a chance sighting of jaguar, puma, tapir, anteaters and many species of birds as you walk the less traveled paths throughout this massive jungle complex. Return to your lodge for lunch, relax and take a dip in the pool and decide if you’d like to return to the temples for sunset. Overnight at Tikal Inn or similar.

Day 6: Caribbean Coastline

After soaking in the great history of Tikal and its mysterious decline, kids can pretend to be a howler monkey and fly among the trees on a zip-line canopy tour before driving to Belize and on to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean coast. After crossing the border your guide will assist you in checking into a short flight to the beaches of Placencia, a 16 mile long peninsula of white sand beaches separating the Caribbean Sea and the mangrove fringed Placencia lagoon.

Kick off your shoes, unpack and settle into your beach cabana or suite. Take a dip in the gentle ocean water or one of the swimming pools, simply relax in a hammock under the swaying palms and let your cares drift away, or indulge in a spa treatment (not included). Overnight at Chabil Mar or Roberts Grove Resort.

Day 7: Barrier Reef Snorkeling

Check out the strange coral formations and swim amongst a variety of brilliantly colored tropical fish as you explore the marine environment on a half-day snorkeling and swimming excursion (8am-1pm). Boat through a string of mangrove cayes, home to an impressive variety of marine life including angel and parrot fish, sergeant major, barracuda, eel, and the occasional stingray or harmless nurse shark. Continue out to the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest unbroken barrier reef in the world. Your guide will swim along with you pointing out the dazzling array of tropical fish, hydrocorals, sea fans, feather plumes, sponges, and sea cucumbers. Return to the lodge for lunch, and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing at the beach. Don’t forget the sunscreen! Overnight at Chabil Mar or Roberts Grove Resort.

Day 8: Free Day

The last full day of vacation is yours to plan as much or as little as you like! Sleep late, lounge on the beach, swim in the pool, borrow one of the complimentary kayaks and paddle the blue waters offshore. Hop on one of the lodge’s bikes and pedal into the nearby village of Placencia to see what’s fresh in the market or to dine in one of the local restaurants for lunch. Those wishing to discover more of Belize may choose to join one of the day trips offered by your lodge such as boat trips up the local Monkey River, horseback riding through the rainforest, fly fishing, spin casting or trolling for grouper, snook, snapper, or tarpon or a visit to the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Reserve seeing Howler monkeys, tapir, numerous reptile and bird species and if you are extremely lucky, the elusive jaguar (additional activities not included). Overnight at Chabil Mar or Roberts Grove Resort.